wax flower

I've got a new love baby.  I had house guests last week and I always try to have fresh flowers in a couple places when I have overnight guests.  Sadly, the small urban grocery store that was my last stop before their arrival had slim pickings in the floral department.  So, I grabbed a bunch of wax flowers.  I had never seen them before but they spoke to me- and to several other people who noticed them in my cart. 
They look fantastic a whole week later and have a light almost evergreen-ish fragrance. While tulips and hydrangeas will always hold the top spot in my flower loving heart, I will buy these again when I want something natural and tall and lasting.

For my science loving readers, here is a little of what I discovered while researching these beauties:

Chamelaucium, also known as waxflower, is a genus of shrubs endemic to south western Western Australia. They belong to the myrtle family Myrtaceae and have flowers similar to those of the tea-trees (Leptospermum). The most well-known species is the Geraldton Wax, Chamelaucium uncinatum, which is cultivated widely for its large attractive flowers.
Plants of the genus Chamelaucium are woody evergreen shrubs ranging from 15 cm (6 in) to 3 m (10 ft) high. The leaves are tiny to medium-sized and arranged oppositely on the stems. They contain oil glands and are aromatic,^[1] often giving off a pleasant aroma when crushed. The flowers are small and have five petals, ten stamens, and are followed by small hardened fruit.^[2]

They are also grown in the US for the fresh flower industry.  I had to make sure my new love hadn't journeyed all the way from Australia as no plant or food should be worthy of that kind of wear and tear on our earth.